Making Parallel Computers Usable: A Software Environment for Parallel Computer Vision

TLDR: A "proof-of-concept" implementation of a dynamic scheduler that is a part of an image understanding task execution environment layered around the PASM parallel processor is completed.

Abstract: An Intelligent Operating System lor Executing Image Understanding Tasks on a Reconfigurable Parallel Architecture {1,2}: We have completed a "proof-of-concept" implementation of a dynamic scheduler that is a part of an image understanding task execution environment layered around the PASM parallel processor. The environment is designed to facilitate "system prototyping" [3]: the experimental process of a user testing various strategies for performing a complex image understanding task by trying different component algorithms, different orderings of algorithms, and different strategies for controlling the selection and sequencing of algorithms. The system uses a database of execution characteristics of pre-written image processing routines, rule-based heuristics, a data dependency representation of the task to be executed, and the current system state to produce and continually update a schedule for the sub tasks that comprise the overall task. Using characteristics such as number of processors, execution mode (SIMD, MIMD), input and output data format, and data allocation, the scheduler selects from